Psalm 132, a text from the later pre-exilic time, is about the well-being of Zion and its faithful. This well-being, essentially David’s, is grounded on the presence of YHWH in Zion. It is realized when YHWH looks friendly upon the Davidic king. The first part of the psalm (vv. 1-10) asks for this favour on the strength of David’s hardships to find for his God a place to dwell. The second part (vv. 11- 18) is an answer to the first. The psalm is an introit-song, composed for the festival of Sukkoth. Expressing notions that remained important to the religious community, it was reintroduced after the exile to be used at the same festival.

80 Th. Booij
announcement in v. 6 opens with hnh: â€œBehold, we heard of it (...), we found
it (...)â€ (19). Statements opening in this way can be the introduction to an
appeal, as is the case in Gen 16,6; 42,2; 1 Sam 9,6.24; 1 Kgs 20,31; 2 Kgs 4,9-
10; 6,1-2 (20). The idea common to these texts is: Such being the state of
affairs, this can be done. Verses 6-7 of our psalm, taken similarly, make good
sense: â€˜We have found it, so let us go inâ€™. However, entering into Zion to
worship there (v. 7) is futile if the place that David swore to â€˜findâ€™ is not
accepted now by YHWH. This is the notion behind v. 8: â€œRise up, YHWH, to
your resting place, you and the ark of your strength!â€ Israelâ€™s God, awful to
his enemies, is asked to â€˜rise upâ€™ to the place (21) where, after war and
wanderings, he lives with his people in peace (cf. Num 10,35; Ps 68,2; 95,11;
also 1 Kgs 8,20-21.56).
VI
Since the Davidic king and the ark are part of the situation supposed in
Psalm 132, the text must be pre-exilic (22). This is also indicated by the
quotation in vv. 3-5. A Sumerian song records about king Gudea of Lagash,
â€œTo build a house for his King (the deity), he does not sleep during the night,
not slumber on the middayâ€ (23). In Egyptian royal inscriptions it is recorded
that the ruler passes the night watchful, meditating what might serve the deity.
This usually results in building a temple (24). So, when David says that he will
give himself no rest until he finds a place where his God may dwell, this suits
a traditional model of royal behaviour; the author of the psalm appears to have
been familiar at the royal court. A further indication is the position of our text
among the Songs of Ascent. Linguistic elements and late formulae argue most
107,25.29; 111,10; 144,6. The word Ë†wra (â€˜chest, arkâ€™), generally masculine, is feminine in
1 Sam 4,17; 2 Chr 8,11. In Ps 132 the feminine suffix is probably to distinguish the ark as
a symbol from YHWH himself (cf. v. 8).
(19) For [mv as â€˜hear about, hear ofâ€™ see e.g. Jer 19,3; Job 42,5.
(20) Cf. F. BROWN â€“ S.R. DRIVER â€“ C.A. BRIGGS, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the
Old Testament (Oxford 21951) s.v., b (a) (p. 244).
(21) For the pregnant use of l Î¼wq see Gen 19,1; Esth 7,7. D.R. HILLERS, â€œRitual
Procession of the Ark and Ps 132â€, CBQ 30 (1968) 48-55, reads l as â€˜fromâ€™. It is doubtful
whether in classical Hebrew l could have that meaning. E.F. HUWILER, â€œPatterns and
Problems in Psalm 132â€, The Listening Heart. Essays in Wisdom and the Psalms in Honor
of Roland E. Murphy (ed. K.G. HOGLUND a.o.) (Sheffield 1987) 204, understands l as â€˜for
the sake of, on behalf ofâ€™. In that sense, however, it is generally used with respect to
humans; see C. BROCKELMANN, HebrÃ¤ische Syntax (Neukirchen 1956) Â§ 107e; P. JOÃœON â€“
T. MURAOKA, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew (Roma 1991) Â§ 133d. If â€˜for the sake ofâ€™ were
meant in v. 8, it would rather have been expressed by d[b (2 Sam 10,12), l[ (Judg 9,17),
tdwa l[ (Exod 18,8), or rbd l[ (Ps 45,5).
(22) A later dating is defended in e.g. F. BAETHGEN, Die Psalmen. Ãœbersetzt und erklÃ¤rt
(HK II/2; GÃ¶ttingen 31904) 390-391; C.A. BRIGGS â€“ E. G. BRIGGS, The Book of Psalms
(ICC; Edinburgh 1906-1907) II, 468-469; M. BUTTENWIESER, The Psalms. Chronologically
treated, with a new translation (1938, New York 21969) 381-382; K. SEYBOLD, Die Psalmen
(HAT I/15; TÃ¼bingen 1996) 497; M. SAUR, Die KÃ¶nigspsalmen. Studien zur Entstehung
und Theologie (BZAW 340; Berlin â€“ New York 2004) 225-248.
(23) See A. FALKENSTEIN â€“ W. VON SODEN, Sumerische und Akkadische Hymnen und
Gebete. Eingeleitet und Ã¼bertragen (ZÃ¼rich â€“ Stuttgart 1953) 154.
(24) See B.G. OCKINGA, â€œAn Example of Egyptian Royal Phraseology in Psalm 132â€,
BN 11 (1980) 38-42.